Salvation & Water Baptism

Before Beginning—Any Questions??

Briefly About Salvation

AT G.C. — WE BELIEVE in “BELIEVER’S BAPTISM” — ONLY BELIEVERS ARE BAPTIZED, NOT INFANTS, ETC.

**TALK ABOUT SALVATION ALL the TIME—BUT GOING to CLARIFY**

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Defining a BELIEVER:

“BORN-AGAIN”

FORGIVEN

SAVED

FILLED W/ SPIRIT

=> ALL REFLECT the SAME REALITY of ONE WHO is “RIGHT WITH GOD & HEAVENBOUND”

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I. The Problem—Sin

WE’RE ALL BORN in NEED of a SAVIOR

Jeremiah 17:9 ESV

9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Ecclesiastes 7:20 ESV

20 Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

Romans 3:23 ESV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23 ESV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 John 1:8 ESV

8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

SIN = “MISSING the MARK” of GOD’S STANDARD… ANY ACT of DISOBEDIENCE to GOD.

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SINNERS NEED SAVING—OTHERWISE WE’RE DESTINED for ETERNAL SEPARATION from GOD in HELL.

SIN SEPARATES US FROM GOD—WE NEED RESCUED…

Problem: RIGHTEOUSNESS REQUIRES PERFECTION… NOT “GOOD ENOUGH”

“THE BAD NEWS...”

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II. The Solution—Christ.

Gospel: GOOD NEWS— CHRIST SUFFERED the CONSEQUENCES of OUR SINS… IN OUR PLACE.

LIVED a PERFECT LIFE

DIED an ATONING DEATH—FOR US.

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

1 Corinthians 15:1–8 ESV

1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

1st Item: CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS.

Salvation = FREE GIFT,,

OFFERED to THOSE WHO WILL RECEIVE IT.

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III. The Response—Repentant-Faith

Romans 6:23 ESV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

WE RECEIVE IT THROUGH FAITH—AFTER WE HEAR the GOSPEL.

Romans 10:17 ESV

17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Romans 1:16 ESV

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

HEAR GOSPEL & RESPOND:

REALIZE OUR NEED for SALVATION—WE ARE SINFUL & NEED SAVING…

REPENT— “CHANGE MIND”

SEEING SIN for WHAT IT IS…

COME to CHRIST— TRUSTING in HIS PERFECT SACRIFICE for SALVATION.

IN FAITH, RECEIVE CHRIST as SAVIOR & LORD.

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FAITH & REPENTANCE = TWO SIDES of SAME COIN

**REPENTANCE is NOT a WORK THAT SAVES**

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Passages That Explain Our Response:

Philippian Jail asked: What must I do to be saved??

Acts 16:31 ESV

31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

FAITH = NOT MERELY INTELLECTUAL, BUT a PERSONAL TRUST.

Romans 10:9–10 ESV

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

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Salvation— GENUINE BELIEVER— RECEIVES SALVATION as GIFT—

Romans 6:23 ESV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

WHEN WE ARE SAVED—WE ARE to SUPPOSED BE BAPTIZED.

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On Baptism

I. Understanding Baptism:

Etymology:

COMES from GK WORD “BAPTIZO”

PLAINLY MEANS—TO IMMERSE, DIP, PLUNGE

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II. Part of the “GREAT COMMISSION” GIVEN BY OUR LORD…

Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Commission: MAKE DISCIPLES —LEARNERS, ADHERENTS—THOSE WHO FOLLOW JESUS.

Means:

Baptizing

BAPTISM is INSEPARABLE from the LIFE of DISCIPLESHIP.

Teaching

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BAPTISM INTO the “NAME” of the TRIUNE GOD

in biblical usage a person’s “name” represents the person’s character, everything that is true about the person

Conclusion: AN ALIGNING W/ GOD & TRUST in CHRIST…

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Day of Pentecost (Birthday of the Church)

PETER PREACHED of the CROSS…

CONVICTION — “WHAT SHALL WE DO?!”

PETER’S RESPONSE:

Acts 2:38 ESV

38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

REPENT & BE BAPTIZED… = TURN to CHRIST for FORGIVENESS

**THROUGHOUT ACTS—NEW BELIEVERS WERE ALWAYS BAPTIZED**

Again: NAME = MARK of CHARACTER…

taking on Christ’s character, as well as committing to live one’s life from that point on as a representative of that name”[1]

SPEAKS of PERSONAL TRUST (KEENER) — NOT FORMULA

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**in “GREAT COMMISSION” & PETER’S SERMON on PENTECOST— DIRECTION PROBABLY WASN’T FORMULAIC**

Historical Background: BUT SINCE the 2ND CENTURY “DIDACHE” — the TRIUNE FORMULA HAS BEEN the STANDARD.

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III. The Significance & Meaning of Baptism

BELIEVERS ARE “BAPTIZED” INTO ONE BODY—THROUGH ONE SPIRIT.

1 Corinthians 12:13 ESV

13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

WATER BAPTISM = NATURAL PARALLEL to THIS— BRINGING INTO FELLOWSHIP of CHURCH...

BAPTISM from EARLIEST TIMES of CHRISTIANITY = INITIATION RITE INTO the CHURCH.

Quote, Scholar, Doug Moo: However, baptism is more than simply a symbol of that new relationship; it is the capstone of the process by which one is converted and initiated into the church. [1]

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2. BAPTISM = PICTURE/SYMBOL of DYING & RISING W/ CHRIST.

Quote, Augustine: “VISIBLE SIGN of the INVISIBLE REALITY of GRACE”

Galatians 3:27 ESV

27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

NO LONGER “IN ADAM” — BUT “IN CHRIST”

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PAUL CONNECTS BAPTISM W/ BURIAL:

Colossians 2:11–15 ESV

11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

ANOTHER PLACE, SPEAKS of RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SIN & NEW LIFE…

REFERENCES “BURIED in BAPTISM”

Romans 6:1–11 ESV

1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

SUBMERSION = PICTURE of BEING “BURIED W/ CHRIST//CRUCIFIED W/ CHRIST”

LEAVING the WATER = PICTURE of RESURRECTION

NEWNESS of LIFE in PRESENT (Rom. 6:4; 2 Cor. 5:17)

ETERNAL LIFE && RESURECTION to COME (1 Cor. 15:49)

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Conclusion:

BAPTISM is NOT a “WORK” THAT SAVES…

IT IS an APPEAL for a CLEAN CONSCIENCE

SIGN YOU ARE DEAD & BURIED & RAISED W/ CHRIST

PROOF to a WATCHING WORLD—YOU ARE UNITED W/ CHRIST & PART of HIS CHURCH.

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III. The Technicalities/Actual Ceremony

OPPORTUNITY to SHARE TESTIMONY?

WE’LL WALK DOWN to RIVER…

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I’ll Ask You a Few Questions:

Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the sinless Son of God?

Do you believe that He died for your sins and was raised to life again on the third day?

Have you received Christ as your Lord and Savior, repenting of your sin & trusting in Him alone for your forgiveness of sins and righteousness before God?

**Mechanism: Plug your nose, we’ll grab your arm and back and put you under and raise you out.

**House-Keeping… WEAR NOTHING SEE-THROUGH. ***

Closing questions/concerns/etc...??